So: a tile just falls off, they "fix" it (no word on what brand of duct tape used) and now a fuel level sensor dies. I really truly hate to make a joke out of this -- it's damned dangerous; a widowmaker -- but it's getting hard not to.

The lightweight plastic cover on one of Discovery's cockpit windows came loose while the spaceship was on the launch pad, falling more than 60 feet and striking a bulge in the fuselage, said Stephanie Stilson, the NASA manager in charge of Discovery's launch preparations.

No one knows why the cover — held in place with tape and weighing less than 2 pounds — fell off, she said. The covers are used prior to launch to protect the shuttle's windows, then removed before liftoff.

Two tiles on an aluminum panel were damaged, and the entire panel was replaced with a spare in what Stilson said was a minor repair job.

Okay, correction: so the tile didn't just fall off. Something else just fell off and busted two tiles. And my other point still holds: no word on the brand of tape used in the original incident or in the repairs.

engeneer12: Hey Boss... Do we reall need to go on July 13 ?
Boss: Yes
engeneer12: But you know we're not ready.. the feul tank isn't done, the cockpit windows are still full of lightweight plastic ..
Boss: Yes I know
engeneer12: But... we can't go to space on that way.... we can never succeed with our deadline...
Boss: Exactly
engeneer12: Exactly ?
Boss: On this way we succeeded with our deadline on papers, and those malfunctions gives us extra time, and we can blame someone else.
engeneer12: Owww, okay..... oke boss.
Boss: It's all about keeping people happy in washington.. do you think we really care about space ? I'm happy with the money I get.. for my family., how slower all things go.. how longer I'll get paid to do this job.

Oh well.. it's not really accurate.. there has to be more what will be the next so called accidental "abort" reason ?

I rather liked official NASA information about the sensor anomaly. This sensor warns that the LH2 fuel flow is about to cease, and LH2 is the “lubricant” in the very high speed turbopumps. If the pumps run dry “uncontained damage” is likely to occur. Replay “Challenger” video for an illustration of this term.

They had three other sensors. Delta IV also had a similar problem. If I didn't know better I'd suspect some pro-EELV anti-shuttle types in Boeing/LockMart of doing some non-lethal sabotage to undermine Griffin.

They had three other sensors. Delta IV also had a similar problem. If I didn't know better I'd suspect some pro-EELV anti-shuttle types in Boeing/LockMart of doing some non-lethal sabotage to undermine Griffin.

I think that is a bit of a stretch, this wouldn't even be considered a problem prior to the Columbia disaster when it was policy to fly if only 3 gauges were working. The requirement for all 4 to work has been imposed as part of the new safety regime. The shuttle only requires 2 to be working to stop a premature engine shut down by the on-board computer. I wonder how many previous launchess only had 3 sensors working?

If the engines shut down to early then the shuttle might not make it to orbit but the SRBs should get it high enough for it to be able to glide back. I think that NASA are being a little too cautious but thats easy to say when I'm not the one riding it and its not my space program that might get permanently canned if there is another failure.

_________________A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.